dependable

βέβαιος, α, ον (s. the next βεβαι-entries; Aeschyl., Hdt. et al.; ins, pap, rare in LXX, freq. in Philo; Jos., Ant. 13, 187; 14, 398; Just.) gener. relating to stability: ‘firm, permanent’.

① of something that can be relied on not to cause disappointment, reliable, in metaph. of an anchor (w. ἀσφαλής) unshifting Hb 6:19 of hope (cp. Dionys. Hal. 6, 51; Plut., Ant. 917 [3, 7]; 4 Macc 17:4) whose realization can be counted on because it does not move, being set down in the ‘holy of holies’. Sim. ἡ ἐλπὶς ἡμῶν βεβαία ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν our hope for you is firm 2 Cor 1:7 (=our expectation [of things to be fulfilled] for you is not misplaced). ἔχομεν βεβαιότερον (for superl.; cp. Stob., Flor. IV 625, 2 βεβαιοτέραν ἔχε τ. φιλίαν πρὸς τ. γονεῖς) τὸν προφητικὸν λόγον we possess the prophetic word as something that is (now) all the more reliable 2 Pt 1:19 (on β. ἔχειν cp. Thu. 1, 32; Appian, Bell. Civ. 5, 19 §78 ἔχειν τι βέβαιον=have a firm hold on something; UPZ 162 II, 10 [117 B.C.]; s. also Diod S in 2); for other interpretations see comm. Of things revealed reliable (w. ἰσχυρός, τεθεμελιωμένος) Hv 3, 4, 3.

② pert. to having continuity or being unwavering and persistent, abiding (ψυχή Did., Gen. 197, 4; of a just pers. TKellis 22, 103 [w. ἁγνός]): of boldness and hope that remain constant, steadfast Hb 3:6 v.l.; of πίστις unwavering (Appian, Liby. 64 §284 πίστις ἐστὶ βέβαιος; Diod S 2, 29, 4 πιστεύοντες βεβαιότερον=accept all the more confidently; Simplicius in Epict. p. 110, 37 πίστις βεβαία=firm faith in the immortality of the soul on the basis of a declaration by a μάντις; Esth 3:13c; 3 Macc 5:31) 1 Cl 1:2. Of love steadfast MPol 1:2. ἀρχὴν τῆς ὑποστάσεως βεβαίαν κατέχειν hold firm the original commitment Hb 3:14. (W. ἀσφαλής) ISm 8:2. ἐπὶ τὸν τῆς πίστεως βέβαιον δρόμον καταντῆσαι steadfastly finish the course of faith 1 Cl 6:2. Of the Corinthian congregation well-established, dependable (Appian, Iber. 37 §150 ἀνὴρ β., Bell. Civ. 2, 13 §47 a servant) 47:6.—ἡ βεβαία τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν ῥίζα dependable root of your faith Pol 1:2 in ref. to constancy in a productive Christian life.

③ pert. to having validity over a period of time, in force, valid of a promise that applies to all pers. Ro 4:16; of the eucharist ISm 8:1. ὁ λόγος ἐγένετο βέβαιος (on λόγος β. cp. Pla., Phd. 90c λόγος β. καὶ ἀληθής) the word was in force Hb 2:2 (β. of the Mosaic law as Philo, Mos. 2, 14); a last will and testament valid (opp. οὐκ ἰσχύει ‘lack force’; legal t.t., s. JBehm, Διαθήκη 1912, 87, 4) Hb 9:17. βεβαίαν τὴν κλῆσιν ποιεῖσθαι keep the call in force i.e. confirm it so that it does not lapse (cp. Ael. Aristid. 13 p. 250 D.: βεβ. ἐλευθερία) 2 Pt 1:10; β. εἶναι be in force IRo 3:1 (Ignatius fears that the instructions given by the Romans to others about dying for the faith will not apply to him; he wants them to be consistent).—B. 1237. DELG. M-M. TW. Spicq.

πιστός, ή, όν (πείθω; Hom.+).

① pertaining to being worthy of belief or trust, trustworthy, faithful, dependable, inspiring trust/faith, pass. aspect of πιστεύω (Hom.+).

ⓐ of pers.

α. of human beings (and Christ) δοῦλος (1 Km 22:14; 2 Macc 1:2; OdeSol 11:22; Jos., Ant. 6, 256; SIG 910 A, 5 [Christian]; PLond II, 251, 14 p. 317 [IV A.D.] δούλους πιστοὺς καὶ ἀδράστους): δοῦλε ἀγαθὲ καὶ πιστέ Mt 25:21a, 23a; cp. 24:45; Hs 5, 2, 2 πιστότατος (v.l. πιστός). οἰκονόμος Lk 12:42; 1 Cor 4:2. μάρτυς (Pind., P. 1, 88; 12, 27; Pr 14:5, 25; Ps 88:38; Jer 49:5; Philo, Sacr. Abel. 17) ὁ μάρτυς μου ὁ πιστός μου Rv 2:13 (μάρτυς 3); in this ‘book of martyrs’ Christ is ὁ μάρτυς ὁ πιστὸς (καὶ ὁ ἀληθινός) 1:5; 3:14; cp. 19:11 (the combination of ἀληθινός and πιστός in the last two passages is like 3 Macc 2:11). Cp. Rv 17:14. πιστὸς ἀρχιερεύς a faithful or reliable high priest Hb 2:17 (of Christ); cp. 3:2 (ἀρχιερέα … πιστὸν ὄντα τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτόν). σύμβουλοι πιστοί B 21:4. πιστοὶ ἄνθρωποι reliable persons 2 Ti 2:2 (cp. Is 8:2; sing. Tob 5:3 S; 10:6 S; ApcEsdr 2:2). Paul honors his co-workers w. π. as a designation: Timothy 1 Cor 4:17. Tychicus Eph 6:21; Col 4:7 (both πιστὸς διάκονος ἐν κυρίῳ). Onesimus Col 4:9. Epaphras 1:7 (πιστὸς ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν διάκονος τοῦ Χριστοῦ). Cp. 1 Pt 5:12 (διὰ Σιλουανοῦ τ. πιστοῦ ἀδελφοῦ).—Moses was πιστὸς ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ Hb 3:5 (Num 12:7). πιστόν τινα ἡγεῖσθαι consider someone trustworthy (Aristoph., Plut. 27) 1 Ti 1:12 (cp. Hb 11:11; s. β below); s. PtK 3 p. 15, 18. γίνου πιστός (γίνομαι 7 and cp. Jos., Vi. 110, Ant. 19, 317) Rv 2:10.—πιστὸς ἔν τινι faithful, reliable, trustworthy in someth. (TestJos 9:2 π. ἐν σωφροσύνῃ) ἐν τῷ ἀδίκῳ μαμωνᾷ in matters relating to unrighteous wealth Lk 16:11. ἐν τῷ ἀλλοτρίῳ in connection with what belongs to someone else vs. 12. ὁ π. ἐν ἐλαχίστῳ καὶ ἐν πολλῷ π. ἐστιν one who is trustworthy in a very small matter is also trustworthy in a large one vs. 10; 2 Cl 8:5; cp. Lk 19:17. π. ἐν πᾶσιν trustworthy in every respect 1 Ti 3:11. Also ἐπί τι in (connection w.) someth. Mt 25:21b, 23b.—When Paul explains in 1 Cor 7:25 that the Lord graciously granted him the privilege of being πιστός, and uses this as a basis for his claim to be heard w. respect, πιστός can hardly mean ‘believing’ (s. 2 below); the apostle rather feels that in a special sense he has been called and commissioned because of the confidence God has in him (πιστός is almost like a title=‘trusted man, commissioner’, oft. in ins of distinguished pers.: ISyriaW 2022a; 2029; 2034; 2045f; 2127f; 2130; 2219; 2238–40; 2243; 2394; cp. SEG XLII, 1484, 1599.—Corresp. πίστις=‘position of trust’: Achilles Tat. 8, 15, 1 οἱ ἄρχοντες οἱ ταύτην ἔχοντες τὴν πίστιν).

β. of God as the One in whom we can have full confidence (Pind., N. 10, 54; Dt 7:9; 32:4; Is 49:7; PsSol 14:1; 7:10; Philo, Rer. Div. Her. 93, Sacr. Abel. 93, Leg. All. 3, 204) 1 Cor 1:9; 10:13; 2 Cor 1:18; 1 Th 5:24; Hb 10:23; 11:11; 1 Pt 4:19; 1J 1:9; 1 Cl 60:1; ITr 13:3. π. ἐν ταῖς ἐπαγγελίαις 1 Cl 27:1 (cp. Ps 144:13a πιστὸς κύριος ἐν τοῖς λόγοις αὐτοῦ). πιστός ἐστιν ὁ ἐπαγγειλάμενος (God) is trustworthy, who has promised 2 Cl 11:6.—Also of the ‘Lord’ (Christ), who is spoken of in the same way as God 2 Th 3:3; 2 Ti 2:13.

ⓑ of things, esp. of words (Hdt. 8, 83; Pla., Tim. 49b; Aristot., Rhet. 2, 1, 1377b, 23; Polyb. 3, 9, 4; 15, 7, 1; Plut., Mor. 160e; Cass. Dio 37, 35; Jos., Ant. 19, 132; Just., D. 11, 2 διαθήκη; Ath., R. 17 p. 69, 16 τὸ πιστόν; Aberciusins. 6 γράμματα πιστά [of a divine teacher]) πιστὸς ὁ λόγος (Dionys. Hal. 3, 23, 17; Dio Chrys. 28 [45], 3) it is a trustworthy saying 1 Ti 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; 2 Ti 2:11; Tit 3:8; cp. 1:9 (JBover, Biblica 19, ’38, 74–79). οἱ λόγοι πιστοὶ καὶ ἀληθινοί Rv 21:5; 22:6. Opp. ψευδής Hm 3:5ab. On τὰ ὅσια, Δαυὶδ τὰ πιστά Ac 13:34 s. ὅσιος 3.—Of water dependable (i.e. not likely to dry up suddenly; cp. Dt 28:59 νόσοι πισταί), unfailing, plentiful B 11:5 (Is 33:16). πιστὸν ποιεῖν τι act loyally 3J 5.

② pert. to being trusting, trusting, cherishing faith/trust act. aspect of πιστεύω (Aeschyl., Pers. 55, Prom. 916; Soph., Oed. Col. 1031; Pla., Leg. 7, 824; Cass. Dio 37, 12, 1; Just., A I, 53, 10 al.), also believing, full of faith, faithful (cp. POxy 1380, 152 ὁρῶσί σε [=Isis] οἱ κατὰ τὸ πιστὸν ἐπικαλούμενοι [on this s. AFestugière, RB 41, ’32, 257–61]; Sextus 1; 8; Wsd 3:9; Sir 1:14, 24 v.l.; Ps 100:6; SibOr 3, 69; 724) of OT worthies: Abraham (who is oft. called πιστός; cp. Philo, Post. Cai. 173 Ἀβρ. ὁ πιστὸς ἐπώνυμος; 2 Macc 1:2; 1 Macc 2:52; Sir 44:20) Gal 3:9; 1 Cl 10:1; Νῶε πιστὸς εὑρεθείς 9:4; Moses 17:5; 43:1 (both Num 12:7) and s. 1aα above (Hb 3:5). Of believers in contrast to doubters Hm 11:1ab. Of belief in the resurrection of Jesus μὴ γίνου ἄπιστος ἀλλὰ πιστός J 20:27. Of one who confesses the Christian faith believing or a believer in the Lord, in Christ, in God π. τῷ κυρίῳ Ac 16:15. Also π. ἐν κυρίῳ Hm 4, 1, 4. π. ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ Eph 1:1. πιστοὶ ἀδελφοὶ ἐν Χρ. Col 1:2. διʼ αὐτοῦ (=Χριστοῦ) πιστοὶ (πιστεύοντες v.l.) εἰς θεόν 1 Pt 1:21.—The abs. πιστός also means believing (in Christ), a (Christian) believer and is used both as adj. (Just., D. 110, 4) and as subst. Ac 16:1; 2 Cor 6:15; 1 Ti 4:10; 5:16; 6:2ab; Tit 1:6; 1 Cl 48:5; 62:3; 63:3; Hm 9:9; Hs 8, 7, 4; 8, 9, 1; 8, 10, 1; 9, 22, 1. οἱ πιστοί the believers = the Christians Ac 12:3 D; 1 Ti 4:3, 12; IEph 21:2; IMg 5:2 (opp. οἱ ἄπιστοι); MPol 12:3; 13:2; AcPl Ha 7, 7 (cp. Just., D. 47, 2 τοῖς Χριστιανοῖς καὶ πιστοῖς). οἱ ἅγιοι καὶ πιστοὶ αὐτοῦ ISm 1:2. οἱ ἐκ περιτομῆς πιστοί= the Israelite (s. Ac 10:36) believers/Christians Ac 10:45. Without the art. (Orig., C. Cels., prol. 6, 5) Dg 11:2, 5. νέοι ἐν τῇ πίστει καὶ πιστοί young in the faith, but nevertheless believers Hv 3, 5, 4.—πιστὸς εἶναι be a believer IRo 3:2. ἐὰν ᾖ τις πιστότατος ἀνήρ even though a man is a firm believer Hm 6, 2, 7.—LFoley, CBQ 1 ’39, 163–65.—B. 1167. New Docs 2, 94, w. reff. to Christian ins. DELG s.v. πείθομαι. M-M. ENDT. TW.

-ή,-όν ⁺ A 4-9-10-23-29=75 Nm 12,7; Dt 7,9; 28,59; 32,4; 1 Sm 2,35

trustworthy, worthy of credit (of pers.) 2 Mc 1,2; reliable (of pers.) Tob^S 5,3; stereotypical rendition of אמן (mostly ni.): faithful (of heart) Neh 9,8; trustworthy, sure 1 Sm 25,28; lasting Dt 28,59; dependable, unfailing, plentiful Is 33,16; πιστά trustworthiness, bona fide Hos 5,9

*2 Sm 23,1 πιστός faithful-אמן for MT נאם word, saying; *Prv 17,7 χείλη πισσά faithful lips, faithful words-רשׁי פתשׁ? for MT יתר פתשׁ fine words

Cf. BARR 1961 166.172-174; DOGNIEZ 1992 163.295; HORSLEY 1982, 94; LARCHER 1983 290-291.304-

305; LIEBERMAN 1942 75.76; →NIDNTT; TWNT

μάρτυς, μάρτυρος, ὁ dat. pl. μάρτυσιν (Pind., Hdt.+; ins, pap, LXX; TestAbr A 13 p. 92, 22 [Stone p. 32]; TestLevi 19:3; Philo, Joseph.; apolog. exc. Ar.)

① one who testifies in legal matters, witness (Just., A I, 23, 3; Ath. 3, 2) Ac 7:58; Mt 18:16; 2 Cor 13:1; 1 Ti 5:19 (the last 3 after Dt 19:15; cp. Jos., Vi. 256 and Hipponax [VI B.C.] 47 D.³ ἐλθὼν σὺν τριοῖσι μάρτυσιν); Hb 10:28 (Dt 17:6.—ἐπὶ μάρτυσι also Appian, Bell. Civ. 3, 14 §49). τί ἔτι χρείαν ἔχομεν μαρτύρων; what further need have we of witnesses? (Pla., Rep. 1, 340a τί δεῖται μάρτυρος; αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ Θρασύμαχος ὁμολογεῖ) Mt 26:65; Mk 14:63. μάρτυρες ψευδεῖς false witnesses (Demosth. 29, 28) Ac 6:13 (Mel., P. 79, 572). There is a suggestion of bureaucratic protocol relating to the account of the prudent and blameless men whom the Roman church sent to Corinth and who μάρτυρες ἔσονται μεταξὺ ὑμῶν κ. ἡμῶν 1 Cl 63:3.

② one who affirms or attests, testifier, witness transf. sense of mng. 1, of anyone who can or should testify to anything.

ⓐ of God (or the exalted Christ) as witness (deities as witnesses oft. Pind. et al.; Philo; Jos., Bell. 1, 595, Ant. 1, 209; TestLevi 19:3; SibOr, Fgm. 1, 4; Just., A II, 12, 4 θεὸν … μάρτυρα ἔχοντες. Orig., C. Cels. 1, 46, 26 θεὸς [sc. ἐστιν] μ. τοῦ ἡμετέρου συνειδότος); as a formula God is my witness (that I am telling the truth) Ro 1:9; Phil 1:8; shortened θεὸς μ. 1 Th 2:5; cp. vs. 10 (here also Jos., Ant. 15, 130 μ. ὑμᾶς ποιούμενος). μ. μοι ἐν ᾧ δέδεμαι IPhld 7:2. μάρτυρα τὸν θεὸν ἐπικαλεῖσθαι call upon God as witness 2 Cor 1:23 (cp. 1 Km 12:5f; 20:23; Polyb. 11, 6, 4 τ. θεοὺς ἐπικαλέσεσθε μάρτυρας; Heliod. 1, 25, 1; Galen VI 775 Kühn; likewise of calling upon deities, Hippol., Ref. 9, 15, 6: τοὺς ἑπτὰ μάρτυρας μαρτύρομαι).

ⓑ of humans (cp. Pind. O. 4, 5): witnessing by eye and ear (X., Ages. 4, 5; Pla., Ep. 1 p. 309a; Aelian, VH 10, 6; Jos., Ant. 18, 299; Tat. 31, 1; 36, 1) 1 Th 2:10; 1 Ti 6:12; 2 Ti 2:2.—Also of those witnesses whose faith is tried and true τοσοῦτον νέφος μαρτύρων Hb 12:1.—Of witnesses of events which they know about, without having experienced them personally (acc. to Strabo 7, 3, 7 p. 300 Hesiod is μάρτυς with regard to the Scythians): the teachers of the law bear witness to the murder of the prophets by their ancestors, by erecting tombs for the prophets Lk 11:48 (μαρτυρεῖτε v.l.).

ⓒ of witnesses who bear a divine message (Epict. 3, 26, 28 God uses the wise men as his μάρτυρες) Rv 11:3 (though the mng. approaches martyr [s. 3 below] here; cp. vs. 7. S. DHaugg, D. zwei Zeugen-Apk 11:1–13, ’36; JConsidine, CBQ 8, ’46. 377–92). In this sense, above all, of Jesus’ disciples as the witnesses of his life, death, and resurrection: ἔσεσθέ μου μάρτυρες you will be my witnesses Ac 1:8; cp. 13:31 (Ps.-Demetr. 222 μάρτυς σου γίνεται). W. obj. gen. of the thing witnessed: witness for/of (Jos., C. Ap. 1, 4 τῶν ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ λεγομένων μ., Ant. 4, 40; ἀληθείας μ. of Polycarp Iren. 3, 3, 4 [Harv. II 13, 4]; παραδόσεως of the Ephesian congregation 3, 3, 4 [Harv. II 15, 6]; Orig., C. Cels. 1, 47, 24) Lk 24:48; Ac 1:22; 3:15; 5:32; 10:39; 26:16. μ. τῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ παθημάτων a witness of the sufferings of Christ 1 Pt 5:1. ἔσῃ μ. αὐτῷ πρὸς πάντας ἀνθρώπους you will be a witness for him to all people Ac 22:15 (Epict. 3, 24, 113 μ. πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους).—10:41. Danker, Benefactor 442–47.

③ one who witnesses at cost of life, martyr, in the usage of the persecuted church τὸ αἷμα Στεφάνου τοῦ μάρτυρός σου Ac 22:20. Of Antipas ὁ μ. μου ὁ πιστός μου Rv 2:13 (cp. Pind., P. 1, 88 μάρτυρες πιστοί=dependable witnesses; on the textual problems of Rv 2:13 s. RBorger, TRu 52, ’87, 45–47). Onesimus μ. Χριστοῦ γεγένηται Phlm subscr. v.l. Gener. μάρτυρες Ἰησοῦ Rv 17:6; cp. MPol 2:2; 14:2; 15:2; 16:2 v.l.; 17:3; 19:1. Of Zacharias μ. εἰμι τοῦ θεοῦ GJs 25:3 (s. de Strycker ad loc.). Since Rv also calls Jesus (as well as Antipas) ὁ μάρτυς ὁ πιστός 1:5; 3:14, these pass. are prob. to be classed here (cp. Ps 88:38), but with awareness of strong focus in all the NT passages in this classification on the fact of witness. The death of Jesus was early regarded as the first martyrdom.—For an analysis of the question how μάρτυς=‘witness’ came to mean ‘martyr’, s. FKattenbusch, ZNW 4, 1903, 111ff; KHoll, variously, then Gesamm. Aufsätze II 1928, 103ff; ASchlatter, BFChTh 19, 3, 1915; PCorssen, NJklA 35, 1915, 481ff, 37, 1916, 424ff, ZNW 15, 1914, 221ff w. several continuations until 18, 1917, 249ff, Sokrates 6, 1918, 106ff; Rtzst., Hist. Mon. 1916, 85; 257, NGG 1916, 417ff, Her 52, 1917, 442ff; FDornseiff, ARW 22, 1923/24, 133ff; HDelehaye, Analecta Bollandiana 39, 1921, 20ff, Sanctus 1927 (²’33), 74ff (75, 1 lit.). ELohmeyer, D. Idee des Martyriums im Judent. u. Urchristent.: ZST 5, 1927/28, 232–49; GFitzer, D. Begriff des μ. im Judent. u. Urchristent., diss. Bresl. 1929; HLietzmann, Martys: Pauly-W. XIV 2, 1930, 2044–52; OMichel, Prophet u. Märt. ’32; RCasey, Μάρτυς: Beginn. I 5, ’33, 30–37; EStauffer, Märtyrertheologie u. Täuferbewegg.: ZKG 52, ’33, 545–98; DRiddle, The Martyr Motif in Mk: JR 4, 1924, 174–91, Hb, 1 Cl and the Persecution of Domitian: JBL 43, 1924, 329–48, From Apocalypse to Martyrology: ATR 9, 1927, 260–80, The Martyrs: A Study in Social Control ’31, Die Verfolgungslogien im formgesch. u. soziol. Bed.: ZNW 33, ’34, 271–89; HvCampenhausen, D. Idee des Martyriums in d. alten Kirche² ’64; EPeterson, Zeuge d. Wahrh. ’37; EBurnier, Le notion de témoignage dans le NT ’37; HSurkau, Martyrien in jüd. u. frühchristl. Zt. ’38; HFischel, Martyr and Prophet (in Jewish lit.), JQR 37, ’46/47, 265–80; 363–86; EGünther, Μάρτυς, D. Gesch. eines Wortes ’41, Zeuge u. Märtyrer, ZNW 47, ’56, 145–61. ELohse, Märtyrer u. Gottesknecht ’55; HvanVliet, No Single Testimony (Dt 19:15) ’58; NBrox, Zeuge u. Märtyrer ’61.—B. 1436; ATrites, Μάρτυς and Martyrdom in the Apocalypse, A Semantic Study: NovT 15, ’73, 72–80, The NT Concept of Witness ’77; GDragas, Martyrdom and Orthodoxy in the NT Era: Greek Orthodox Theological Review 30, ’85, 287–96; PVassiliadis, The Translation of μαρτυρία Ιησοῦ in Rv: BT 36, ’85, 129–34; M-ERosenblatt, Paul the Accused ’95, 1–21; Kl. Pauly III 1059f; BHHW II 1156f.—DELG. M-M. EDNT. TW. Spicq. Sv.

πίστις, εως, ἡ (Hes., Hdt.+; ranging in meaning from subjective confidence to objective basis for confidence).

① that which evokes trust and faith

ⓐ the state of being someone in whom confidence can be placed, faithfulness, reliability, fidelity, commitment (X., An. 1, 6, 3; 3, 3, 4; Aristot., Eth. Eud, 7, 2, 1237b, 12; Polyb. 7, 12, 9; 38, 1, 8 al.; Herodian 2, 14, 4 al.; SIG 675, 22; OGI 557, 16; PTebt 27, 6; 51 [II B.C.]; POxy 494, 9; 705, 32; other pap M-M. s.v.; Ps 32:4; Pr 12:22; Jos., Ant. 2, 61; TestAsh 7:7) w. κρίσις and ἔλεος Mt 23:23. (Opp. ἀπιστία as Hes., Op. 370) τὴν πίστιν τοῦ θεοῦ καταργεῖν nullify the faithfulness/commitment of God (cp. Ps 32:4; Hos 2:22) Ro 3:3. πᾶσαν π. ἐνδείκνυσθαι ἀγαθήν show all good faith(fulness) Tit 2:10 (cp. BGU 314, 19 μετὰ πίστεως ἀγαθῆς). W. other virtues Gal 5:22 (on πίστις, πραΰτης cp. Sir 45:4; 1:27). W. ὑπομονή 2 Th 1:4. τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα I have remained faithful or loyal (πίστιν τηρεῖν as Polyb. 6, 56, 13; 10, 37, 5; Jos., Bell. 2, 121; 6, 345; OGI 339, 46f; IBM III, 587b, 5f [Dssm., LO 262=LAE 309, esp. note 3]) 2 Ti 4:7, though this would be classified by some under 3 below. S. also 1c below.

ⓑ a solemn promise to be faithful and loyal, assurance, oath, troth (X., Cyr. 7, 1, 44; 8, 8, 3, Hell. 1, 3, 12; Diod S 14, 9, 7; Appian, Bell. Civ. 4, 86 §362 μεγάλας πίστεις ἔδωκεν=solemn assurances; 3 Macc 3:10; Jos., Ant. 12, 382) τὴν πρώτην πίστιν ἠθέτησαν 1 Ti 5:12 (s. also ἀθετέω 1 and cp. CIA app. [Wünsch, Praef. p. xv] of a woman who πρώτη ἠθέτησεν τὴν πίστιν to her husband). Cp. Rv 2:3.

ⓒ a token offered as a guarantee of someth. promised, proof, pledge (Pla., Phd. 70b; Isocr. 3, 8; Aristot., Rhet. 1, 1; 3, 13; Epicurus in Diog. L. 10, 63; 85: πίστις βεβαία=dependable proof; Polyb. 3, 100, 3; Περὶ ὕψους 39, 3=p. 74, 20 V.; Epict. 1, 28, 3; Appian, Bell. Civ. 4, 119 §500; Jos., Ant. 15, 69) πίστιν παρασχὼν πᾶσιν ἀναστήσας αὐτόν (God has appointed a man [Jesus] to be judge of the world, and) he has furnished proof (of his fitness for this office) to all people by raising him (on πίστιν παρέχειν cp. Jos., Ant. 2, 218 πίστιν παρεῖχε; 15, 260; Polyb. 2, 52, 4 πίστιν παρέσχετο=gave a pledge, security; Vett. Val. 277, 29f) Ac 17:31. JBarton, Biblica 40, ’59, 878–84: π. in 2 Ti 4:7= bond deposited by an athlete. But see 3 below.—WSchmitz, ῾Η Πίστις in den Papyri, diss. Cologne, ’64.

② state of believing on the basis of the reliability of the one trusted, trust, confidence, faith in the active sense=‘believing’, in ref. to deity (Soph. Oed. R. 1445 νῦν γʼ ἂν τῷ θεῷ πίστιν φέροις; Pla., Leg. 12, 966de; Plut. Mor. 402e; 756b; Dio Chrys. 3, 51 παρὰ θεῶν τιμὴ κ. πίστις; Ael. Aristid. 13 p. 226 D.: πίστιν ἐν τ. θεοῖς ἔχειν; Appian, Liby. 57 §248 ἐς θεοὺς πίστις; Ep. 33 of Apollonius of Tyana [Philostrat. I 352, 14]; Herm. Wr. 9, 10 ἐπίστευσε καὶ ἐν τῇ καλῇ πίστει ἐπανεπαύσατο; Porphyr., Ad Marcellam 21 τῆς βεβαίας πίστεως, τὸ μεμαθηκέναι, ὅτι ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ προνοεῖται πάντα. The divinity Πίστις in Plut., Num. 70 [16, 1] and in magic [exx. in Rtzst., Mysterienrel.³ 234f, among them Aberciusins. 12; PGM 4, 1014 ἀλήθεια καὶ πίστις; 12, 228]; Wsd 3:14; 4 Macc 15:24; 16:22; 17:2; Philo, Abr. 270; 271; 273, Mut. Nom. 182, Migr. Abr. 43f, Conf. Lingu. 31, Poster. Cai. 13 [on faith in Philo s. the lit. given under πιστεύω 2aα]; Jos, C. Ap. 2, 163; 169; Just., A I, 52, 1 πίστιν ἔχειν; 53, 11 πειθὼ καὶ πίστιν … ἐμφορῆσαι), in our lit. directed toward God and Christ, their revelations, teachings, promises, their power and readiness to aid.

ⓐ God: πίστις θεοῦ (cp. Jos., Ant. 17, 179.—Cp. π. καὶ φόβος ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ Theoph. Ant. 1, 7 [p. 72, 26]) faith, trust, confidence in God Mk 11:22; cp. Ac 19:20 D; 1 Cl 3:4; 27:3. π. θείου πνεύμαπος faith in the divine spirit Hm 11:9. ἡ π. τοῦ κυρίου Hs 6, 3, 6. π. (καὶ ἐλπὶς) εἰς θεόν 1 Pt 1:21. π. ἐπὶ θεόν Hb 6:1. ἡ πίστις ἡ πρὸς τὸν θεόν 1 Th 1:8 (on the constr. w. πρὸς τ. θ. cp. Philo, Abr. 268; 271; 273; Just., D. 121, 2 διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον π.).—πίστις can also be characterized as faith in God by the context, without the addition of specific words; so in connection w. OT personalities: Abraham Ro 4:5, 9, 11–13, 16, 19f (s. also 2dα below); 1 Cl 10:7; 31:2; of Rahab 12:1, 8; of Esther 55:6 (ἡ τελεία κατὰ πίστιν). The OT heroes of faith Hb 11:4–33, 39 (w. this catalogue of heroes cp. Il. 4, 457–538; 2 Km 23:8–39; 1 Ch 11:10–12:18; CGordon, Homer, and the Bible: HUCA 26, ’55, 83).—But in Hb it is also true that God is specifically the object of the Christian’s faith, and Christ 12:2 is ὁ τῆς πίστεως ἀρχηγὸς καὶ τελειώτης. Cp. 10:38; 11:3; 13:7. (On faith in Hb s. Schlatter, Der Glaube im NT⁴ 1927, 520ff; BHeigl, Verfasser u. Adresse des Hb 1905, 109–18; GHoennicke, Die sittl. Anschauungen des Hb: ZWT 45, 1902, 26ff; Windisch, Hdb. exc. on Hb 11; Riggenbach and Michel on Hb 11; Strathmann on 10:38. S. ὑπόστασις end.)—ἐὰν ἔχητε πίστιν Mt 17:20. Opp. doubt 21:21. αἰτεῖν ἐν πίστει μηδὲν διακρινόμενος Js 1:6. ἡ εὐχὴ τῆς πίστεως 5:15 (εὐχή 1). ἡ πίστις τῆς ἐνεργείας τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἐγείραντος αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead Col 2:12.

ⓑ Christ

α. of belief and trust in the Lord’s help in physical and spiritual distress; oft. in the synopt. gospels: Mt 8:10; 9:2, 22, 29 (κατὰ τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν); 15:28; Mk 2:5; 4:40; 5:34; 10:52; Lk 5:20; 7:9, 50; 8:25, 48; 17:19; 18:42.—Cp. ἔχει πίστιν τοῦ σωθῆναι (the lame man) had faith that he would be cured Ac 14:9.

β. of faith in Christ, designated by the addition of certain words. By the obj. gen. (s. Just., D. 52, 4 διὰ τῆς πίστεως τῆς τοῦ χριστοῦ) πίστις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ faith in Jesus Christ (and sim. exprs. On interp. as obj. gen. s. AHultgren, NovT 22, ’80, 248–63 [lit.]; response SWilliams, CBQ 49, ’87, 431–47.) Ro 3:22, 26; Gal 2:16ab, 20; 3:22; Eph 3:12; Phil 3:9a; Js 2:1; Rv 14:12; cp. 2:13 (ἡ πίστις μου=faith in me, the Human One [Son of Man]); IMg 1:1. (The πίστις Χριστοῦ in Paul is taken as a subj. gen. by JHaussleiter, Der Glaube Jesu Christi 1891, Was versteht Paulus unter christlichem Glauben?: Greifswalder Studien für HCremer 1895, 161–82 and GKittel, StKr 79, 1906, 419ff. See also Schläger, ZNW 7, 1906, 356–58; BLongenecker, NTS 39, ’93, 478–80 [lit. since ’81]; DCampbell, JBL 113, ’94, 265–85; response BDodd, 114, ’95, 470–73.—ADeissmann, Paulus² 1925, 125f [Paul, tr. WWilson, 1926, 162ff], speaks of the mystical gen., ‘faith in Christ’. Likew. HWeber, Die Formel ‘in Christo Jesu’: NKZ 31, 1920, 213ff, esp. 231, 3; WWeber, Christusmystik 1924, 82. S. also LAlbrecht, Der Glaube Jesu Christi 1921; OSchmitz, Die Christusgemeinschaft des Pls im Lichte seines Genetivgebr. 1924, 91–134; OHoltzmann, D. Glaube an Jes.: Stromata 1930, 11–25; GTaylor, JBL 85, ’66, 58–76: the passages in Gal=Christ’s reliability as a trustee. Cp. GHoward, HTR 60, ’67, 459–65; MHooker, NTS 35, ’89, 321–42.)—By prepositional phrases: πίστις εἰς Χριστόν (and sim. exprs.) faith in Christ Ac 20:21; 24:24; 26:18; Col 2:5 (Just., D. 40, 1).—Also πίστις ἐν Χριστῷ (and sim.) Gal 3:26; Eph 1:15; Col 1:4; 1 Ti 3:13; 2 Ti 3:15; 1 Cl 22:1. In ἱλαστήριον διὰ πίστεως ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ αἵματι Ro 3:25, ἐν κτλ. prob. goes not w. πίστις, but w. ἱλαστήριον (s. Ltzm., Hdb. ad loc.; W-S. §20, 5d).—πίστις, ἣν ἔχεις πρὸς τ. κύριον Ἰησοῦν Phlm 5.—πίστις διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰ. Χριστοῦ Ac 20:21 D; sim. ἡ πίστις ἡ διʼ αὐτοῦ 3:16b (cp. 1 Pt 1:21).—Jesus Christ is called ἡ τελεία πίστις ISm 10:2.

ⓒ πίστις can also be characterized by an objective gen. of the thing: ἡ πίστις τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ faith in his (Jesus’) name Ac 3:16a. ἡ πίστις τοῦ εὐαγγελίου Phil 1:27. εὐαγγελίων πίστις Dg 11:6. πίστις ἀληθείας 2 Th 2:13.

ⓓ πίστις is found mostly without an obj., faith, firm commitment

α. as true piety, genuine devotion (Sextus 7a and 7; ParJer 6:7), which for our lit. means being a Christian (τὸ ἀληθινὸν πάσχα … πίστει νονούμενον Hippol., Ref. 8, 18, 1; Did., Gen. 54, 11) Lk 18:8 (s. Jülicher, Gleichn. 288); 22:32; Ac 6:5=vs. 8 v.l.; cp. 11:24.—6:7; 13:8; 14:22; 15:9; 16:5; Ro 1:5, 8, 12, 17ab (ἐκ πίστεως εἰς πίστιν does not mean a gradation [as, in a way, Appian, Mithrid. 40 §154: Sulla came upon ἕτερον ὅμοιον ἐξ ἑτέρου=one wall, i.e. fortification, after another similar one] or a transition from one kind to another [Himerius, Or.=Ecl. 10, 6 ἐκ ᾠδῆς εἰς ᾠδὴν ἄλλην μετέβαλον=they changed from one kind of song to another], but merely expresses in a rhetorical way that πίστις is the beginning and the end; s. Ltzm., Hdb. ad loc., and a grave-ins [ANock, Sallust. p. xxxiii, 94] ἐκ γῆς εἰς γῆν ὁ βίος οὗτοσ=‘dust is the beginning and the end of human life’.—AFridrichsen, ConNeot 12, ’48, 54); 17c (here and in Gal 3:11 the LXX of Hab 2:4 [DCampbell, JBL 116, ’97, 713–19] is not followed literally, since it has ἐκ πίστεώς μου=‘as a result of my faithfulness’; even in Hb 10:38, where μου does occur, it goes w. δίκαιος, not w. πίστεως); Ro 3:27f (Luther’s addition of the word ‘alone’ in vs. 28 is hard to contest linguistically. Cp., e.g., Diog. L. 9, 6: Heraclitus wrote his work in very obscure language ὅπως οἱ δυνάμενοι προσίοιεν αὐτῷ=in order that only the capable might approach it. S. also Fitzmyer, ABComm. 360–64), 30f; 4:5–20 (s. also 2a above); 5:1f; 9:30, 32; 10:6, 17; 11:20 (opp. ἀπιστία); 12:3, 6 (s. ἀναλογία; for a difft. view 3 below); 14:1, 22 (s. ἐνώπιον 2b; others would place in 2dε), 23ab (but s. ε below); 16:26; 1 Cor 2:5; 15:14, 17; 16:13; 2 Cor 1:24ab; 4:13; 10:15; 13:5; Gal 3:7–26; 5:5, 6 (s. ἐνεργέω 1b); 6:10 (οἱ οἰκεῖοι τῆς πίστεως, s. οἰκεῖος b); Eph 2:8; 3:17; 4:5, 13; 6:16; Phil 1:25 (χαρὰ τῆς πίστεως); 2:17; 3:9b; Col 1:23; 2:7; 1 Th 3:2, 5, 7, 10; 2 Th 1:3, 11; 3:2; 1 Ti 1:2, 4, 5 (π. ἀνυπόκριτος), 19ab; 4:1; 5:8; 6:10, 12, 21 (but s. 3 below); 2 Ti 1:5 (ἀνυπόκριτος π.); 2:18; 3:8; Tit 1:1, 4, 13; 3:15; Phlm 6 (s. κοινωνία 4); Hb 6:12; 10:22, 39 (opp. ὑποστολή); Js 1:3; 2:5; 1 Pt 1:5, 7, 9; 5:9; 2 Pt 1:1; 1J 5:4; 1 Cl 1:2 (ἡ πανάρετος κ. βεβαία π.); ISm 1:1 (ἀκίνητος π.); Hm 5, 2, 1; 12, 5, 4 (both πλήρης ἐν τῇ πίστει full of faith); 5, 2, 3 (π. ὁλόκληρος); 9:6 (ὁλοτελὴς ἐν τ. π.), 7 (opp. διψυχία), 12 (π. ἡ ἔχουσα δύναμιν); 12, 6, 1; Hs 9, 19, 2 (ἀπὸ τῆς π. κενοί); 9, 26, 8 (κολοβοὶ ἀπὸ τῆς π. αὐτῶν).—τὸ ῥῆμα τ. πίστεως Ro 10:8. οἱ λόγοι τῆς π. 1 Ti 4:6. τὸ μυστήριον τῆς π. 3:9. ὁ θεὸς ἤνοιξεν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν θύραν πίστεως God has opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, i.e. opened the way for them to participate in a new relationship w. God Ac 14:27 (s. also θύρα 1bγ). ἀκοὴ πίστεως Gal 3:2, 5 (s. ἀκοή 2 and 4b). (τὸ) ἔργον (τῆς) π. 1 Th 1:3; 2 Th 1:11 (s. ἔργον 1b). οἱ ἐκ πίστεως the people of faith (s. ἐκ 3b) Gal 3:7, 9. πῶς οὐν [πίστιν εὑρ]ίσκομεν; Ox 1081, 25f (but here [ταῦτα γιγν]ώ̣σκομεν is the preferable restoration w. Till after the Coptic SJCh 90, 2); 32. Of gnostics τοῦ ὄφεως πίστιν ἔχουσιν AcPlCor 2:20.—If the principal component of Christianity is faith, then π. can be understood as the Gospel in terms of the commitment it evokes (cp. SIG 932, 7 [II/I B.C.]) νῦν εὐαγγελίζεται τὴν πίστιν ἥν ποτε ἐπόρθει Gal 1:23 (s. 3 below). Perh. also Ro 1:5.

β. Hb 11:1 defines πίστις as ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις, πραγμάτων ἔλεγχος οὐ βλεπομένων. There is here no qu. about the mng. of π. as confidence or assurance (s. 2a above), but on its relation to ὑπόστασις as its predication s. under that word.—(Ps.-Aristot., De Mundo 6, 18 interprets πιστεύειν in someth. as incapability to see someth. that is apparent only to God.) Paul contrasts walking διὰ εἴδους (εἶδος 3) as the lower degree, with διὰ πίστεως περιπατεῖν 2 Cor 5:7 (s. KDeissner, Pls. u. die Mystik seiner Zeit² 1921, 101ff). On the other hand πίστις is on a higher level than merely listening to Christian preaching Hb 4:2.

γ. πίστις abs., as a Christian virtue, is often coupled w. others of the same kind, esp. oft. w. ἀγάπη: 1 Th 3:6; 5:8; 1 Ti 1:14; 2 Ti 1:13; Phlm 5; B 11:8; IEph 1:1; 9:1; 14:1; 20:1; IMg 1:2; 13:1; IRo ins; ISm ins; 6:1; 13:2; AcPl Ha 8, 35. W. ἀγάπη and other abstracts 2 Cor 8:7; Gal 5:22; Eph 6:23; 1 Ti 2:15; 4:12; 6:11: 2 Ti 2:22; 3:10; Tit 2:2; Rv 2:19; IPhld 11:2; Pol 4:2; Hm 8:9; cp. v 3, 8, 2–5. The triad πίστις, ἐλπίς, ἀγάπη 1 Cor 13:13; cp. also Col 1:4f; 1 Th 1:3; 5:8; B 1:4 (on this triad see s.v. ἀγάπη 1aα). W. ἐλπίς only (cp. 1 Pt 1:21) 1 Cl 58:2. The ζωῆς ἐλπίς is called ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος πίστεως ἡμῶν B 1:6.—W. ἀλήθεια (TestLevi 8:2) 1 Ti 2:7 (cp. the combination POxy 70, 4f [III A.D.]); 1 Cl 60:4. W. δικαιοσύνη Pol 9:2. W. ὑπομονή Rv 13:10; w. ὑπομ. and other abstracts 2 Pt 1:5f; Pol 13:2 (cp. also the following passages already referred to in this section: 1 Ti 6:11; 2 Ti 3:10; Tit 2:2 and Js 1:3 [α above]). W. γνῶσις (Just., D. 69, 1) et al. 2 Pt 1:5f [s. above]; D 10:2. ἵνα μετὰ τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν τελείαν ἔχητε τὴν γνῶσιν B 1:5. W. φόβος and ἐγκράτεια Hm 6, 1, 1.—(Distinguished from θεία σοφία: Orig., C. Cels. 6, 13, 23.)

δ. faith as fidelity to Christian teaching. This point of view calls for ἔργα as well as the kind of πίστις that represents only one side of true piety: Js 2:14ab, 17, 18abc, 20, 22ab, 24, 26 (ἔργον 1a); Hv 3, 6, 5; Hs 8, 9, 1ab.

ε. Ro 14:22 and 23 π. as freedom or strength in faith, conviction (s. Ltzm., Hdb. ad loc.; but s. α above).

ζ. In addition to the πίστις that every Christian possesses (s. 2dα above) Paul speaks of a special gift of faith that belongs to a select few 1 Cor 12:9. Here he understands π. as an unquestioning belief in God’s power to aid people with miracles, the faith that ‘moves mountains’ 13:2 (cp. Mt 17:20.—21:21; s. 2a above). This special kind of faith may be what the disciples had in mind when they asked πρόσθες ἡμῖν πίστιν Lk 17:5; cp. vs. 6. τῇ πίστει φερόμενος ὁ Παυλος AcPl Ha 5, 1.

③ that which is believed, body of faith/belief/teaching (Diod S 1, 23, 8 ἰσχυρὰν πίστιν καὶ ἀμετάθετον=an article of faith that was firm and unshakable [concerning Orpheus and Dionysus]; Mel., HE 4, 26, 13; Ath. 8, 1; Iren., 1, 10, 2 [Harv. I, 92, 1]; Orig., C. Cels., 1, 42, 26; Did., Gen. 156, 23). So clearly Jd 3 (τῇ ἅπαξ παραδοθείσῃ τοῖς ἁγίοις πίστει), 20 (τῇ ἁγιωτάτῃ ὑμῶν πίστει.—ἅγιος 1aα). πίστις θεοῦ=that which, acc. to God’s will, is to be believed IEph 16:2.—This objectivizing of the term πίστις is found as early as Paul: Ro 1:5; Gal 1:23 (s. 2dα end) and perh. Gal 3:23–25 (s. Ltzm., Hdb. ad loc.). ASeeberg, D. Katechismus der Urchristenheit 1903, 110f, understands 1 Ti 1:19; 4:1, 6; 6:10, cp. 21; 2 Ti 2:18 in this manner. Ro 12:6 (but s. ἀναλογία) and 2 Ti 4:7 are also interpreted in this way by many.—EBurton, ICC Gal 1921, 475–86; ASchlatter, D. Glaube im NT⁴ 1927; APott, Das Hoffen im NT in seiner Beziehung zum Glauben1915; ANairne, The Faith of the NT 1920; RGyllenberg, Pistis 1922; WKümmel, D. Glaube im NT: ThBl 16, ’38, 209–21; Dodd 65–68; TTorrance, ET 68, ’57, 111–14; CMoule, ibid. 157.—Synoptics: TShearer, ET 69, ’57, 3–6.—Esp. for Paul: BBartmann, Pls, die Grundzüge seiner Lehre u. die moderne Religionsgeschichte 1914; WMorgan, The Religion and Theology of Paul 1917; WHatch, The Pauline Idea of Faith in Its Relation to Jewish and Hellenistic Religion 1917; Ltzm., Hdb. exc. after Ro 4:25; FKnoke, Der christl. Glaube nach Pls 1922; ERohde, Gottesglaube u. Kyriosglaube bei Pls: ZNW 22, 1923, 43–57; EWissmann, Das Verh. v. πίστις und Christusfrömmigkeit bei Pls 1926; MDibelius, Glaube u. Mystik b. Pls: Neue Jahrb. f. Wissensch. u. Jugendbildg. 7, ’31, 683–99; WMundle, D. Glaubensbegriff des Pls ’32 (p. xi–xvi extensive bibliog.); RGyllenberg, Glaube b. Pls: ZWT 13, ’37, 612–30; MHansen, Om Trosbegrebet hos Pls ’37; LMarshall, Challenge of NT Ethics, ’47, 270–77; 298–300; RBultmann, Theologie des NT ’48, 310–26 (Engl. tr. KGrobel I ’51, 314–30; for the Johannines II, 70–92, ’55); MMassinger, BiblSacra 107, ’50, 181–94 et al. S. also δικαιοσύνη 3a.—For the Fourth Gosp.: JBuswell, The Ethics of ‘Believe’ in the Fourth Gospel: BiblSacra 80, 1923, 28–37; JHuby, De la connaissance de foi chez S. Jean: RSR 21, ’31, 385–421; RSchnackenburg, D. Glaube im 4. Ev., diss. Breslau ’37; WHatch, The Idea of Faith in Christ. Lit. fr. the Death of St. Paul to the Close of the Second Century 1926.—EGraesser, D. Glaube im Hebräerbrief, ’65.—ABaumeister, D. Ethik des Pastor Hermae, 1912, 61–140.—ESeidl, π. in d. griech. Lit. (to Peripatetics), diss. Innsbruck, ’53; HLjungman, Pistis, ’64; DLührmann, Pistis im Judent., ZNW 64, ’73, 19–38. On faith in late Judaism s. Bousset, Rel.³ 534a (index); also DHay, JBL 108, ’89, 4611–76; DLindsay, Josephus and Faith ’93. On the Hellenistic concept πίστις Rtzst., Mysterienrel.³ 234–36.—DELG s.v. πείθομαι. M-M. EDNT. TW. Spicq. Sv.

ἀγαθός, ή, όν (Hom.+) Comp. ἀμείνων (not in NT, but e.g. PGM 5, 50; 6, 2; Jos., Bell. 5, 19, Ant. 11, 296) 1 Cl 57:2; IEph 13:2; 15:1; βελτίων, also κρείσσων, colloq. ἀγαθώτερος (Diod S 8 Fgm. 12, 8; Judg 11:25 B; 15:2 B) Hm 8:9, 11. Superl. ἄριστος (Jos., C. Ap. 2, 156, Ant. 16, 142; Ath., R. 72, 8); colloq. ἀγαθώτατος (Diod S 16, 85, 7; Philo Bybl. [c. 100 A.D.] s. below 2aα; Heliod. 5, 15, 2; Synes., Ep. 143; Jos., Bell. 2, 277) Hv 1, 2, 3.—Ael. Dion. α, 10 rejects the forms ἀγαθώτερος, -τατος as wholly foreign to Greek (B-D-F §61, 1). When used of pers., freq. in ref. to good citizenship or acceptance of communal responsibility (cp. the def. in Cleanthes 3 [Coll. Alex. p. 229]).

① pert. to meeting a relatively high standard of quality, of things.

ⓐ adj. useful, beneficial καρποί (Procop. Soph., Ep. 27; Sir 6:19; Da 4:12 LXX) Js 3:17. δένδρον Mt 7:17f. γῆ productive, fertile soil (X., Oec. 16, 7 γῆ ἀ.—γῆ κακή; Diod S 5, 41, 6; Arrian, Anab. 4, 28, 3; Jos., Ant. 5, 178) Lk 8:8; B 6:8, 10. δόματα beneficial (Sir 18:17) Mt 7:11; Lk 11:13. δόσις Js 1:17; λόγος ἀ. πρὸς οἰκοδομήν useful for edification Eph 4:29 (cp. X., Mem. 4, 6, 11; Chion, Ep. 3, 6 πρὸς ἀνδρείαν ἀμείνους; Isocr. 15, 284 ἄριστα πρὸς ἀρετήν); γνώμη ἀ. a gracious declaration 1 Cl 8:2; ἡμέραι ἀ. happy (Cass. Dio 51, 19; PGen 61, 10; Sir 14:14; 1 Macc 10:55) 1 Pt 3:10; 1 Cl 22:2 (both Ps 33:13; 34:12); cp. 50:4.

ⓑ used as a pure subst.: sg. (Hom. et al.; ins, pap, LXX), ἀγαθόν, οῦ, τό the good (Diog. L. 1, 105 ἀγαθόν τε καὶ φαῦλον=a good and bad thing at the same time. TestAbr A 4, p. 80, 32 [Stone p. 8] of food); opp. (τὸ) κακόν Did., Gen. 21, 5; pl. ἀγαθά, ῶν, τά good things, possessions.

α. quite gener. τὰ ἀγαθά σου Lk 16:25 (cp. Job 21:13; En 103:3; PsSol 1:6, 5, 18; 17:44; 18:6; the opp. of τὰ κακά as Ephorus of Cyme [IV B.C.] περὶ ἀγαθῶν κ. κακῶν: 70 test. 1 Jac.; Diod S 18, 53, 1 ἀγαθῶν τε καὶ κακῶν μεταλαμβάνων; Job 2:10; s. SAalen NTS 13, ’66, 5 on En 98:9); τοιαῦτα ἀ. such fine things Hs 9, 10, 1.—ποιήσαι ταῦτα κ. περισσότερα ἀ. μεθʼ ἡμῶν to do these and far better things for us 1 Cl 61:3.

β. possessions, treasures (Hdt. 2, 172 et al.; PRyl 28, 182 δεσπότης πολλῶν ἀγαθῶν κ. κτημάτων; Sir 14:4; Wsd 7:11; TestJob 4:8; SibOr 3, 660; 750) Lk 1:53 (Ps 106:9.—Amphis Com. Fgm. 28 [IV B.C.], in Athen. 3, 56, 100a, χορτάζομαι ἐν ἅπασιν ἀγαθοῖς; Sb 7517, 4 [211/12 A.D.] ἀγαθῶν πεπληρῶσθαι); Gal 6:6; Hv 3, 9, 6; τὰ ἀ. τῆς γῆς 1 Cl 8:4 (Is 1:19; cp. TestAbr A 4 p. 81, 18 [Stone p. 10] ἀ. τῶν ἐπιγείων); esp. of crops (Diod S 3, 46, 1 τὰ ἀ.=‘the good gifts’, specifically ‘products of nature’; likewise 19, 26, 3. Even more generally Synes., Kingship 16 p. 17d τὰ ἀ.=food; Philo, Op. M. 16, Mos. 1, 6) Lk 12:18f.

γ. possessions of a higher order (Dio Chrys. 64 [14], 1 ἐλευθερία as μέγιστον τ. ἀγαθῶν; Ael. Aristid. 24, 4 K.=44 p. 825 D.: ὁμόνοια as μέγ. τῶν ἀ.; 45, 18 K.=8 p. 89 D.: τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀγ. Diog. L. 6, 4 the priest promises the initiate into the Orphic mysteries πολλὰ ἐν ᾅδου ἀγαθά) Ro 3:8; 10:15 (Is 52:7).—Hb 9:11; 10:1; 2 Cl 6:6; 15:5.

② pert. to meeting a high standard of worth and merit, good

ⓐ as adj.

α. of humans and deities (the primary focus is on usefulness to humans and society in general, so Pind.+, s. AAdkins Merit and Responsibility ’60, 189f) beneficent, of God (Dio Chrys. 80 [30], 26 οἱ θεοί; Zoroaster in Philo Bybl.: 790 Fgm. 4, 52 Jac. [Eus. PE 1, 10, 52] God is ἀγαθῶν ἀγαθώτατος. Sallust. 1 πᾶς θεὸς ἀγαθός; contrast Did., Gen. 109, 3 ὁ διάβολος οὐ φύσει κακός … ἐστίν, ἀλλὰ … ἀγαθὸς γέγονεν.—Cp. IKosPH 92, 6f which calls Nero ἀ. θεός, ἀγαθὸς δαίμων [OGI 666, 3; POxy 1021, 8, both referring to Nero; POxy 1449, 4; s. also JKroll, D. Lehren d. Hermes Trismeg. 1914, 90; Rtzst., Erlösungsmyst. 189; 191ff] and Sb 349 θεῷ ἀγαθῷ Διὶ Ἡλίῳ; Philo, Leg. All. 1, 47 al.; Celsus 4, 14) Mt 19:17b (in Cleanthes, Stoic. I 127, 3ff [Eus. PE 13, 13, 37], a description of God follows the question τἀγαθὸν ἐρωτᾷς μʼ οἷόν ἐστʼ; cp. Orig., C.Cels. 3, 70, 9; Did., Gen. 98, 28); Mk 10:18b (Unknown Sayings 33–36); Lk 18:19b; Dg 8:8 (on these passages cp. Simonid., Fgm. 4, 6f χαλεπὸν ἐσθλὸν [=ἀγαθός ln. 10] ἔμμεναι; 7 θεὸς ἂν μόνος τοῦτʼ ἔχοι γέρας); μόνος ἀ. ἐστιν ibid.; πατὴρ ἀ. 1 Cl 56:16 (Philo, Op. M. 21 ἀ. εἶναι τὸν πατέρα κ. ποιητήν); ἀ. ἐν τ. ὁρωμένοις good in the visible world 60:1.—Of Christ Mk 10:17, 18a (DomGMurray, Downside Review 103, ’85, 144–46, w. ref. to Pirke Aboth 6, 3); Lk 18:18, 19a (WWagner, ZNW 8, 1907, 143–61; FSpitta, ibid. 9, 1908, 12–20; BWarfield, PTR 12, 1914, 177–228; WCaspari, Christent. u. Wissensch. 8, ’32, 218–31.—Cp. also the saying of Pythagoras in Diog. L., Prooem. 12, who does not wish to be called σοφός because μηδένα εἶναι σοφὸν ἀλλʼ ἢ θεόν); J 7:12.—Of humans, other than Jesus Mt 12:35; Ro 5:7; D 3:8; νομοθέται B 21:4; πονηροί τε καὶ ἀ. good and bad designating a motley crowd Mt 22:10. Same contrast 5:45 (cp. Jos., Ant. 8, 314). βελτίονα ποιεῖν make better 1 Cl 19:1; βελτίω γενέσθαι become better Dg 1; kind, generous (X., Cyr. 3, 3, 4; CIG 37, 49) Mt 20:15 (in Mk 10:17f=Lk 18:18 [s. above] it is understood as kind by JWellhausen, EKlostermann, Billerb., Wagner, Spitta, Dalman [Worte 277], EHirsch [D. Werden des Mk ’41, 246]); δεσπόται benevolent 1 Pt 2:18 (cp. PLips 40 II, 19, where a slave says ὁ ἀγαθὸς δεσπότης μου). δοῦλος (Heraclitus, Ep. 9, 3 [p. 212, 4 Malherbe]) Mt 25:21, 23; Lk 19:17. ἀνήρ (Teles p. 16, 6; Diod S 20, 58, 1; Epict. 3, 24, 51 al.; PLond I, 113/1, 8 p. 201; 2 Macc 15:12; 4 Macc 4:1; Jos., Bell. 5, 413, Ant. 18, 117; JGerlach, ΑΝΗΡ ΑΓΑΘΟΣ, diss. Munich ’32) Lk 23:50; Ac 11:24; νέαι Tit 2:5. ἀπόστολοι superb 1 Cl 5:3.

β. of things characterized esp. in terms of social significance and worth, πνεῦμα Lk 11:13 v.l.; ἐντολή Ro 7:12 (Ps.-Archytas [IV B.C.] in Stob., Ecl. 4, 138, IV 85, 17 H. νόμος ἀ. καὶ καλός); ἀγγελία (Pr 25:25) Hv 3, 13, 2; παιδεία Hs 6, 3, 6; μνεία ἀ. kindly remembrance 1 Th 3:6 (2 Macc 7:20 μνήμη ἀ.); ἐλπίς dependable (Pla., Rep. 331a; Chariton 7, 5, 10; Jos., Ant. 14, 96) 2 Th 2:16; μερὶς ἀ. the better part Lk 10:42; πρᾶξις (Democr. 177 πρῆξις; Did., Gen. 69, 7) 1 Cl 30:7; συνείδησις clear Ac 23:1; 1 Ti 1:5, 19; 1 Pt 2:19 v.l.; 3:16, 21; 1 Cl 41:1; διάνοια Hm 5, 2, 7; ἐπιθυμία (Pr 11:23; 13:12) pure (i.e. directed toward pure things) desire m 12, 1, 1f; 2:4f; 3:1; γνώμη ἀ. good intention B 21:2; ἀ. ἐν Χριστῷ ἀναστροφή admirable Christian conduct 1 Pt 3:16; ἀ. θησαυρός Mt 12:35; Lk 6:45; καρδία καλὴ καὶ ἀ. 8:15; ἔργον (Thu. 5, 63, 3; PCairMasp 151, 237) a good deed 2 Cor 9:8; Col 1:10; 1 Ti 5:10; 2 Ti 2:21; 3:17; Tit 1:16; 3:1; 1 Cl 2:7; 33:1; 34:4. Pl. ἔργα ἀ. (Empedocles [V B.C.] 112, 2) 1 Ti 2:10; also specif. of benefactions (w. ἐλεημοσύναι) Ac 9:36; 1 Cl 33:7; ἐν παντὶ ἔργῳ κ. λόγῳ ἀ. (for this Hellenic formulation cp. Lk 24:19; Ac 7:22; for the simple λόγος ἀ. s. 3Km 8:56; 4 Km 20:19; Is 39:8) 2 Th 2:17; ὑπομονὴ ἔργου ἀ. persistency in doing right Ro 2:7.

ⓑ as subst., sg. (s. 1b). Opp. (τὸ) κακόν Did., Gen. 21, 5; 27, 5.

α. that which is beneficial or helpful ἐργάζεσθαι τὸ ἀ. do what is good Ro 2:10; Hm 4, 2, 2; 7:4; also specif. of benefaction Gal 6:10 and of socially acceptable work Eph 4:28; Hm 2:4; τὸ ἀ. ποιεῖν (cp. Jos., Bell. 1, 392) Ro 13:3b; Hm 8:12; cp. 6, 2, 8.—Mt 19:17a; Ro 7:13; 12:9; 16:19; 1 Th 5:15; 1 Pt 3:13; 1 Cl 21:6; 2 Cl 13:1; Hm 8:2, 7.

β. τὰ ἀ. (ἀληθινὰ ἀ. Orig., C. Cels 7, 21, 10) good deeds J 5:29; cp. Hm 10, 3, 1 (TestAbr A 9 p. 87, 28 [Stone p. 22] ἀγαθά τε καὶ πονηρά).—B. 1176. DELG. M-M. TW. Sv.

ἀληθής, ές (Hom.+.) true

① pert. to being truthful and honest, truthful, righteous, honest of pers. (Aeschyl., Thu.; IG XIV, 1071, 8; BGU 1024 VI., 17; 2 Esdr 17:2; Wsd 1:6; Jos., Ant. 8, 234) of Jesus Mt 22:16; Mk 12:14; J 7:18. Of God (Wsd 15:1; Philo, Spec. Leg. 1, 36; Jos., Bell. 7, 323; SibOr Fgm. 1, 10; 5, 499) J 3:33; 7:28 v.l.; 8:26; Ro 3:4; Dg 8:8. Gener. (opp. πλάνοι) 2 Cor 6:8. Of overseers and assistants D 15:1.

② pert. to being in accordance with fact, true of things, esp. that which is spoken: ῥῆμα (Gen 41:32; ParJer 2:9; 3:3) Hm 3:3f; 11:3. παροιμία (Soph., Ajax 664) 2 Pt 2:22. λόγος (Pind., O. 1, 28; Galen, in Hippocratis De Natura Hom., 29 p. 17, 26f Mewaldt; Dt 13:15; Jdth 11:10; Wsd 2:17; Philo; Just., A I, 3, 1) Dg 12:7. (τὰ) ἀληθῆ λέγειν (Soph., Ph. 345; Ps.-Demosth. 7, 43; POxy 37, 12 [I A.D.]; PStras 41, 18 [c. 250 A.D.]; 3 Macc 7:12; Jos., Vi. 286; Just., A II, 3, 5) J 19:35; GJs15:4; 23:2. τοῦτο ἀληθὲς (v.l. ἀληθῶς) εἴρηκας you have said this truly (lit., ‘as someth. true’; cp. Pla.; Ps.-Demosth. 59, 34 ταῦτʼ ἀληθῆ λέγω; Lucian, Fugit. 1) J 4:18; cp. 10:41 (πάντα ὅσα … ἀλ. like Jos., Ant. 8, 242). οὐδὲν ἀληθές Ac 14:19 v.l. (Oenomaus the Cynic in Eus., PE 5, 26, 4 says that in the oracles there is μηδὲν ἀληθὲς ἢ ἔνθεον). τἀληθῆ διδάσκειν Papias (2:3). γραφαί 1 Cl 45:2. Dependable μαρτυρία (PHal 1, 227 ἀληθῆ μαρτυρεῖν; Jos., Ant. 4, 219 μαρτυρία) J 5:31f; 8:13f, 17; 21:24; 3J 12; Tit 1:13.—κρίσις J 8:16 v.l.; γνῶσις Dg 12:6. As quest. τοῦτο ἀληθές; GJs 19:1, not pap. ὅσα ἐστὶν ἀληθῆ Phil 4:8. ἀληθές ἐστιν καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ψεῦδος (the contrast as Pla., Ep. 7 p. 344b; Philo, Rer. Div. Her. 132) 1J 2:27, cp. vs. 8; Hv 3, 4, 3.

③ pert. to being real, real, genuine, not imaginary (Thu. et al.; PTebt 285, 3; 293, 17; Pr 1:3; Wsd 12:27; Mel., P. 37 τῷ φύσει ἀληθεῖ) ἀγάπη Pol 1:1; MPol 1:2. χάρις 1 Pt 5:12. ζωή (Philo, Poster. Cai. 45) Dg 12:4. βρῶσις, πόσις of the body and blood of Jesus J 6:55. ἵνα τὸ πνεῦμα ἀληθὲς εὑρεθῇ Hm 3:1. ἀ. ἐστιν τὸ γινόμενον διὰ τ. ἀγγέλου what was done by the angel is a reality Ac 12:9. ἔργα Qua (s. ἀεί 1 end). On μαθητὴς ἀ. IRo 4:2 s. ἀληθῶς b.—B. 1169. DELG s.v. λανθάνω. M-M. TW. Spicq. Sv.

1) dependable

2) reliable

1) consistent

2) dependable

3) punctual

4) reliable